Milk River Restaurant in Brooklyn will be hosting this years' Haitian Comedy Show Fest on Thursday, September 1st! Featuring some of the most talented comedians of the Haitian community, Sejoe takes the stage, front row and center, as he debuts in one of New York's hottest boroughs.

"Sejoe's fast momentum is apparent."

Starting in Montreal and then venturing off to Quebec, Ottawa and Toronto, Sejoe will embark on his One Man Show Tour in April! Sponsored by Pikliz Show D'Humour and Netflix, Sejoe's fast momentum is apparent. Join us for the ride!

"SeJoe talks about how the past, present and future of Haiti is no laughing matter."

Se Joe — who collectively has more than 70,000 followers on his social media channels — is a funny man with a mission: to help Haiti. In this conversation with the YouTuber and Haitian diaspora celebrity — “the Haitian Eddie Murphy,” as he calls himself — Se Joe talks about how the past, present and future of Haiti is no laughing matter.

Q: You were born in Brooklyn, N.Y., but raised in Haiti. Why were you raised there and not in America?

A: Better education. My mom wanted us to know who we are as black people, as Haitians and as human beings. She thought Haiti was the right place because that’s where she grew up.

Q: How often do you get back to Haiti?

A: At least every year. Actually, I just got back from Haiti in December; I was shooting a documentary for Emeline Michel. But I come back every year. I don’t spend Christmas or New Years in America.

Q: How has Haiti changed since your childhood?

A: Haiti has definitely changed. I was born in 1987, so I grew up during a time of turmoil. A lot did change; however, we’re in 2016 and I should not be saying, “Haiti is better now because we have more electricity.” That’s not what I should be proud of in 2016. Right now I should be saying, “Wow. Haiti has changed so much because they just built 130 schools in the country, they just built the 66th hospital, we just got our 13th fire station, we just built a big solar electricity plant that powers the whole entire Caribbean.”

Q: What kind of contributions do you make to Haiti?

A: My contributions are self-made. I don’t believe in organizations that say they’re going to benefit Haiti and all that bullcrap. If I’m doing something charitable, I do it simply because I want to. When I go to Haiti, nobody knows. I’m not looking for a pat on the back. It’s my duty as a Haitian citizen to do what I need to do, period.

Q: What reactions do you get from older generations of Haitians when it comes to your version of Creole, which you call “Creglish”?

A: You can’t please everybody, but honestly, I do it for my generation. I don’t care about the generation that came before me because I hate their way of thinking. The way they were brought up that is not conducive to my generation. French was the language that showed you were educated then, and speaking Creole, to them, was like speaking slang. My generation doesn’t see it like that. A language is just a mode of communication, so we embrace Creole.

Q: Why is it important for you to speak to this generation?

A: When I grew up there were a lot of things I didn’t like, so I didn’t want my generation to grow up making the same mistakes. I want Haiti to be better. I want Haiti to change. That’s why I speak to this generation the way I do.

"I’m more than just a comedian. I’m a creator."

Se Joe is on a journey, a personal alchemy of sorts. The kind that awakens a deep desire and passion to live with a greater sense of purpose.

Born Joseph Ducasse, the 20-something, years ago, obtained a Bachelor’s in Biology with an emphasis in Chemistry to blindly fulfill his family’s ultimate wish of becoming a doctor. However, Joe’s insatiable appetite for culture, love of laughter and mastery behind the lens, catapulted him to stages around the world where he could tell gut-busting jokes in Creole, a source of pride for the Haitian-born humorist.

When he’s not telling jokes, editing music videos with finesse or schooling an international fan base with his Word of the Day series, he’s filming in his native Ayiti and documenting the latest world tour of superstar songstress Emeline Michel.

True to the millennial way, Joe’s startup on YouTube had taken him much further than he initially thought. He’d grown with a public so fond of his work (and charm) that he was prompted to create his now-wildly successful comedy hub SeJoe.com. With influences like Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy and Paul Mooney – all of whom “kept it real” with the world – and a new move to the Big Apple, Joe’s getting ready for his next big act. Get acquainted.

The space I occupy in this world:I’m more than just a comedian. I’m a creator. I produce videos, I produce entertainment, and I produce education. That’s what I do.

My MLK moment (realizing the dream):I’m more of a Malcolm X guy. [Laughs] I really haven’t had any MLK moment, because I don’t dream per se. Whenever I think about what I want to accomplish in life, [it] never comes to me when I’m asleep. It comes to me when I’m awake. Dreams, I think, are for people who wish something would happen. Someone maybe waiting for God or a sign to accomplish what they want to see come into fruition. But me, I’m a go-getter. So, if I want something, I just go and make it happen.

The hardest project I have ever worked on:Pretending I wanted to be a doctor. I think that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Pretending to my family that I was going to be some plastic surgeon, or something. Other than that, I haven’t had too many hard projects. I would say I’ve been challenged a lot, but I always overcome my challenges.

My biggest personal win:So far, everything I’ve accomplished in my career has been “winning.” However, I’d say the biggest win was having the courage to follow my personal desire versus doing what my mother and everyone else wanted me to do.

My creative flow necessities:Marijuana. [Laughs] A little smoke and the ideas just come to me, honestly. I don’t abuse it, of course, but I like to use it in my creative zone, because that’s when my ideas seem to come in all at once. So far, the results been marvelous.

I am currently working on…A documentary for international artist, Emeline Michel. This is my first time producing a full-length film. I’m very excited to make it my best work, yet.

My mentor is…A mentor is someone who gives you good advice about life, someone who maybe guides you in the right direction in what you want to accomplish. So, I think I have a couple or several people who I seek when I need some direction or a second opinion. Allaix Augustin is a close mentor of mine, someone who I go to often for advice. Bianca Salvant, my co-producer, she’s always there whenever I have any doubts or need a second opinion—third, fourth, fifth opinion. Fred St. Amand Jr. is a cousin of mine and someone whose opinion I really value. Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy and Paul Mooney are influences, so in a sense, they’ve guided me too.

My definition of a boss:A boss is someone who barks orders and doesn’t really do anything. He or she just barks orders and wants to feel powerful or in control. That’s my definition of a boss. A boss is not a team leader or a team player. He’s just there to make sure the machine is running.

My life mantra:The words “f*ck it.” I love those words, because I honestly live by them. I don’t give people free rent in my head, you know what I mean? Whenever people try to come at me with negativity, I just say aloud, “f*ck it” and everything sort of subsides and appeases me in a sense that I don’t have to worry about whatever B.S. tried to make its way into my life. Those are some good words. You should try [saying] it sometimes and then just walk away. See how that feels.

"An enthusiastic, witty and amusing young man, Sejoe’s mission is to highlight the positive essence of his Haitian culture"

“If I can make people happy by making them laugh, I have fulfilled my purpose by utilizing one of the gifts God has given me, my sense of humor.” A comedian, producer, actor, model, videographer, artist manager and more, Entertainer and Entrepreneur Joseph “Sejoe” Ducasse is a Haitian comedic success in the entertainment industry.

“My first venture in the entertainment industry was during my senior year in college where I majored in biology at Florida State University because my mother had a dream of me becoming a doctor but my heart wasn’t in it Yet, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Feeling down and lonely, I wanted to feel close to my people and culture so I went searching on the Internet for jokes in Creole. To my surprise, there were hardly any jokes in Haitian Creole. Always the class clown, I decided to tell myself a joke to lift my own spirits. I turned on the camera from my laptop, recorded myself telling a joke and posted it online. Suddenly, I started to receive comments by others telling me how much they loved it and that I should post more. So I did. And so my ‘new career’ started.”

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sejoe’s start in entertainment began with that first joke, followed by many others, five years of creating his own animated cartoon, producing shows for rappers like Big Sean and Sean Paul (as well as rappers A$AP Rocky, Daddy Yankee and Flo-Rida), and founding Sejoe Entertainment (which is involved in creating, directing, producing and editing commercials, fashion shows, music videos and photo shoots).

Fluent in Creole, English and French, Sejoe is considered a unique stand-up comedian because he can successfully communicate his humor and make audiences laugh.

“I like to make people laugh but to also teach them something. My jokes allow people to remember what I’m talking about — they are learning about Haitian humor without even realizing it.”

An enthusiastic, witty and amusing young man, Sejoe’s mission is to highlight the positive essence of his Haitian culture, including its Creole language, by educating others about it through his comedy. In this quest, he recently launched two ventures: the Haitian Humor Series, The Sejoe Show, which is broadcast in Haitian Creole (with some English thrown in) and geared towards a rising generation of Haitian Diaspora and an app to learn the Creole language that contains over 25,000 words, including translations, jokes and videos. Sejoe is also a contributor to The 509 Exchange Project.

“I intend to contribute to The 509 Exchange Project by sharing their efforts with my fans and encouraging them to get engaged in any way they can. The 509 Exchange Project team and I are equally passionate about sharing the beauty and richness of the Haitian culture with as many people as possible. I also plan to participate in future Discover Haiti trips and the 509 Exchange Project events. My fans know me as a comedian, and I will continue sharing my sense of humor with them, but I look forward to growing as an entertainer while exploring new avenues and possibilities. I believe that the best chance of success for a social media project like The 509 Exchange Project is for people who like what we do to make their voices heard by liking, subscribing and following us online. I, for one, will do anything I can to help.”

"His startup on youtube has taken him further than he ever thought he could reach."

I chose to bring back attention to one very talented Haitian comedian whom I happened to meet through my friend Timoza last year. He had come in Haiti to film a documentary about an orphanage and stopped by ChoKarelLa on monday August 22, 2011 to introduce himself and talk about his work. His name? Joseph Ducasse aka Se Joe.

Se Joe, or @Se_Joe on twitter, is what you would call a down to earth young haitian comedian. He understands that his public is composed of people who come from all walks of life, and he makes sure his material can appeal to all of them, by putting all his talent into telling very distinctive Haitian jokes.

The funny part in all of this is that, had he not listened to his heart, Se Joe would have probably never set foot on a stage, because his family, being a typical Haitian family, had hopes of him becoming a doctor. And believe it or not, Joseph has obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and minors in both Chemistry and French from The Florida State University in Tallahassee. Impressive, I know!

His startup on youtube has taken him further than he ever thought he could reach, with a public so fond of his work that he had to give them more of himself, by creating his own website, SeJoe.com, his android App and more recently, by deciding to post one joke a day on his instagram account, Se_Joe.

Needless to say that both the website and the IG account are getting him the attention that they deserve, and that the comedian is getting recognition for his hard work! You too should become a fan, as I have, by checking out his website or his IG account and showing your support.

Well, there goes my TBT of the week! A interview with Se Joe on #chokarella. Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time!

Episode 1 of Haitian comedian and FSU Alumnus Joseph ‘Sejoe’ Ducasse’s new The Sejoe Show begins with a sharp, red-lettered viewer discretion “WARNING,” not unlike the ones you’d see at the beginning of stunt videos or late-night infomercials.

“The following program contains funny Creole, French and English languages not suitable for old ass Haitians,” it says, followed by a candid postscript reading “P.S. This is going to be awkward if your parents are in the room.”

The postscript’s jab at the aged, as harsh as it may seem, has much to do with the fact that the only media currently geared towards Haitian and Haitian-Americans, targets “a generation that is dying out.” On the contrary, Sejoe has his eye set on the children and grandchildren of this generation.

As a whole, this disclaimer could almost be read as a mission statement for the show (which debuted last month), but that isn’t to say the humor is lost in self-seriousness. The idea behind The Sejoe Show is to create an authentic platform for Haitian comedy, geared towards a rising generation of Haitian and Haitian-American individuals. Because no entertainment outlets cater specifically towards this group, the comedian, who made his YouTube debut in 2009, has further taken it upon himself to fill in the gap.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sejoe got his start in comedy following his move to Tallahassee to study Biology, Chemistry and French, under pressure from his family to practice medicine. Unable to repress his desire to be in the entertainment field, he started uploading videos of himself telling distinctive Haitian jokes, after realizing that the Internet contained little if any of the Haitian comic relief he himself needed. Now, following five years of creating his own animated cartoon, producing shows for rappers like Big Sean and Sean Paul (as well as non-Sean rappers A$AP Rocky, Daddy Yankee and Flo-Rida), and founding Sejoe Entertainment (which is involved in creating, directing, producing and editing commercials, fashion shows, music videos and photo shoots), the comedian has a clearer vision of what it takes to move his fellow Haitian, Haitian-American, and American Millennial audiences.

The Sejoe Show is a four-part series, made up of jokes, skits and viral videos—all in a combination of Creole and English language called ‘Creglish.’ After the opening credits in Episode 1, a highly animated, yet very IRL Sejoe appears, gesticulating wildly in a pair of jeans and black T-shirt bearing his name in red block-letters, in front of a beige backdrop.

After one frantic minute of this, none of which contains any decipherable English, a soundtrack of ‘magical’ Disneyesque chimes emerges over a screen showing fragmented blue Twitter bird, and prompt stating “it’s cool, follow me @Se_Joe” in a characteristically millennial all-lowercase font.

From here, opening the SJ TV News Channel, one of Sejoe’s ‘reporters’ looks into the camera, appearing to perk her breasts up before an interview, before chasing ‘Colors’ rapper Ice-T out of a building, who hides his face with a briefcase and retires to a nearby cab. The SJ TV News title then appears to the tune of ‘cheesy intense breaking news music’ and a beeping, Doppler-like countdown noise.

Sejoe, appearing as the Geraldo Rivera-looking, white-haired, white-mustached, grey suit-clad ‘Jacques Cade’ appears live from the newsroom, appearing to be worked up over an urgent broadcast, before the topic-to-be skewered is revealed as ‘Ice Loves Coco,’ rapper Ice T’s reality TV show. After a bit spoken in Creglish, the ‘host’ asks: ‘Who doesn’t like Coco?’ the only English line spoken up until that point in the episode.

Images of soccer player Kaka, a statue of the Buddha, Ebesse Zozo hot sauce, Bill Clinton and George Bush 43 then flash on the screen as the host narrates in Creglish.

The next scene begins with text reading #teamsejoe, and the comic returns, superimposed against an urban concrete backdrop, featuring his ‘SJ’ logo tagged in spray paint on a wall.

After a segment showing Haitian woman being coached on how to pronounce the English world ‘world,’ Sejoe says, “Speaking of English, let’s check out–” and points to a picture of Haitian man, then mumbles his distinctly Haitian name, trailing off in an ironic recognition of its difficult pronunciation for native English speakers. The man is, like the woman before, coached on how to pronounce “Disney World,” eliciting a swath of audience laughter.

Then, taking the Disney joke into new territory, a video of a small, blonde American girl in a ‘Donuts’ shirt (featuring a bit-into frosted donut with a peace sign in the middle) plays, wherein she’s asked by her mother where, if she could go anywhere, she would go on vacation.

“Disneyland!” the girl says, surrounded by Micky, Minnie, and Cinderella memorabilia. After being informed that she’d be going there on that day, she breaks into tears. The video then replays, with Sejoe narrating in Creglish over the mom, but leaving the girl’s responses intact.

Largely met with positive reviews, the show currently airs on YouTube and can be found along with other content on his Sejoe.com website.

Joseph "Sejoe" Ducasse, from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, started "The Sejoe Show,"a Haitian humor series presented in high definition.

Ducasse was first introduced to the idea in 2009, when he went online looking for Haitian comedic relief. He realized there weren't many Haitian media outlets, and the ones that were out were geared more toward old Haitian culture that was dying out.

So he began creating videos on YouTube of distinctive Haitian jokes that required true Haitian talent and pride to execute.

"Haitians in America don't really have an entertainment outlet here," Ducasse said. "We are the young, new generation, so why not cater to people like me?"

After five years of gaining positive reviews and high demand for his work on YouTube, Ducassedecided to create "The Sejoe Show."

One key element in creating the show was to represent the Haitian people all over the world in a positive light. Because there aren't many Haitian-based shows, Ducasse said he made sure the program was top-notch before airing it.

The goal of the show is to showcase a part of Haitian culture that people hardly ever see while educating and make people laugh. Ducasse also wants to give Haitian people something exclusive and authentic that they can call their own.

Oliver St. Fort, a senior sociology student at FSU from Pompano Beach, is excited to see a show like this.

"I'm Haitian myself," St. Fort said. "So getting to see a show with some new Haitian flavor in Tallahassee is kind of a big deal."

The show is a four-part series made up of jokes, viral videos and original skits all in ," a combination of Creole and English, that relates to Haitian, Haitian-American and American culture.

Ducasse used themes from popular movies and TV shows such as "Anchorman"and the Show" to create characters for the show. Ducasse also incorporated Vine video reviews into it, a concept he picked up from the show "Tosh.0."

Even though the show is Haitian based, those who aren't Haitian, like Jermaine Dickey, a junior mechanical engineering student at Florida A&M from Tallahassee, can still take something from the show.

"The show is actually pretty interesting," Dickey said. "I had never heard of a Haitian TV series in Florida before, so I was curious to check it out.

A small, dark man was perched to the left of the entrance. His bright red shirt contrasted with his ebony skin as he swiftly sliced coconuts with a machete into a grocery cart.

The simple, honest portrayal of everyday Haitian life and culture showed no signs of destruction from a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and the resulting cholera outbreak and mass displacement in the SeJoe Collection, launched Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Tallahassee Community College Fine Art Gallery.

The collection is named after Joseph "Se Joe" Ducasse, 23, a Florida State University alumnus. Ducasse said the contemporary Haitian art dates back to 1960.

"The art captures Haiti's beauty and folklore," said Ducasse. "It is looking at Haiti through the artist's eyes. In this exhibition I choose the paintings with most vibrant and vivid colors; the pieces tell a story."

Ducasse was born in Brooklyn, NY, but was raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Ducasse said his mother, Marie-Denise St-Amand, first introduced him to art and had a wide network of artist friends in Haiti. Over 200 of the pieces were donated by Ducasse's mother.

The Se Joe Collection will be open to the public until March 24. The collection will be open Monday through Friday 12:30-4:30 p.m. at the Tallahassee Community College Fine Art Gallery. The gallery will be closed during spring break.

The reception featured the personal art collection of Joseph Ducasse on the life, culture, and natural environment of the island and the Haitian people. The oil on canvas paintings varied from scenes of everyday life to abstract depictions infused with representations of historic significance and cultural beliefs.

The reception was inspired by Ducasse, who was interested in developing a relationship with the Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science while creating awareness for the earthquake victims, said Chucha Barber, CEO of the museum.

"While there was a significant outpouring of support in the early days and weeks following the earthquake I think it's very important that we continue to keep the people of Haiti in our minds and our hearts, because they have a very long road to recovery," Barber said.

Scott Bonnell, founder and CEO of Hope to Haiti, was featured as the guest speaker. Performances included Florida State Universities Poetic Lyricism and song, poetry and dance by Paul Etienne, Karen Jean-Louis, Dariana Vertus, Richard Wilson and Lucien Adderley.

"I hope the community will learn that what they see on television about Haiti is not true," said Angie Jacques, president of the Haitian Culture Club of Tallahassee. "Haitians have a rich culture and an influential history."

Proceeds for Night at the Museum go toward the Hope for Haiti. The reception was sponsored by the Haitian Cultural Club of Tallahassee, the Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science, Parks & Crumps Attorneys at Law and www.sejoe.com.